Middlesbrough pimp Junior Chester Bryan jailed for 24 years

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A violent pimp who got teenage girls addicted to drugs so he could force them into prostitution has been jailed for 24 years.

Junior Chester Bryan, 63, beat and raped girls as young as 14 between 1993 and 2013, Teesside Crown Court heard.

His eight victims across the 20-year span said he had ruined their lives, with several attempting suicide.

He was found guilty of rape, false imprisonment and living off the earnings of prostitution.

Judge Howard Crowson said Bryan was a "dominating, violent sex offender" with a "dangerously distorted view" of young women who was "willing to destroy the lives of others" in pursuit of his own desires.

'Deliberate ploy'

Sitting via Skype, the court heard Bryan, of Marton Road in Middlesbrough, who also previously lived in Leeds, met his victims when they were teenagers.

One, who was 16 or 17, was a cannabis user but Bryan gave her a joint which, unknown to her, he had laced with heroin.

Judge Crowson said it was a "deliberate ploy" to bring her under Bryan's control. He went on to rape her on multiple occasions, punching and strangling her and hitting her with a hammer.

In a statement read by prosecutor Richard Bennett, the woman said the day Bryan "spiked" her was "the day my life changed forever".

She said as a 16-year-old she had dreams of becoming a beautician, but they were destroyed by him.

'Exceptional student'

The court heard from three victims, who were all 14 when they met Bryan. One was raped by him, while another escaped when a visitor disrupted him.

The third said at first Bryan was like a father figure, who she believed cared for her, but he gave her heroin and she realised he was encouraging her to become a prostitute, Judge Crowson said.

There were other victims, who he turned to prostitution and sent to London for sex work, the court heard.

A number of them said they had previously been confident, outgoing girls who had their lives destroyed by him.

One said she had been a "exceptional student" who planned to study English Literature at university, but that was ruined by Bryan.

Several said they still have nightmares and one feels fear whenever she hears a car like Bryan's.

Judge Crowson said Bryan will have to serve 16 years before he is eligible for parole, and after 24 years will face an extra five years on licence.

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